User authentication using rhythmic passwords

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(11)

EP 1 469 372 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	26.10.2005 Bulletin 2005/43

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	20.10.2004 Bulletin 2004/43

(21)	Application number: 04252256.5

(22)	Date of filing: 16.04.2004

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: G06F 1/00

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
	Designated Extension States:
	AL HR LT LV MK

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Priority:

16.04.2003 US 414886

(71)	Applicant: AT&T Corp.
	New York, NY 10013-2412 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Smith, Thomas M. Westfield, New Jersey 07090 (US) Cheung, Eric New York 10003 (US)

(74)	Representative: Suckling, Andrew Michael
	Marks & Clerk, 4220 Nash Court, Oxford Business Park South Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 2RU Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 2RU (GB)

(54)	User authentication using rhythmic passwords

(57) A password authentication system uses a password comprising of characters as well as the duration of the depressed characters and the duration of the pauses between each subsequent character entered. The rhythm of the password as it is entered into the authentication system is used to validate the authenticity of the user.

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